Bobbin removal mechanism for spinning machines



Jan. 31, 1967 s. ROLLER ETAL 3,300,958

BOBBIN REMOVAL MECHANISM FOR SPINNING MACHINES Filed Jan. 8, 1964 A TTOR/V596 United States Patent f 3,300,958 BOBBIN REMOVAL MECHANISM FORSPINNING MACHINES Siegfried Roller, Fellbacli, and Gustav Idler,Strumpfelbach, Germany, assignors to Firma C. Eugen MaierMetallverarbeitung G.rn.b.H., Fellbach, Germany Filed Jan. 8, 1964, Ser.No. 336,453 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 16, 1963, M55,449 6 Claims. (Cl. 57-53) This invention relates in general tospinning machines, and in particular to a new and useful device forremoving fully wound bobbins from the spindles of a spinning machine.

The present invention relates particularly to a spinning machine of atype in which a bobbin change carriage is moved continuously along thespinning machine and in which the bobbin removal device is carried onthe carriage. The invention is an improvement over prior art devices,particularly in respect to the provision of a driving mechanism whichincludes a lever which is pivoted up and downwardly for moving a gripperinto contact with the bobbin and for lifting the bobbin off the spindleand wherein means are provided for having a greater lifting forceavailable at the time the bobbin is taken off the spindle for thepurpose of overcoming friction than is available during the remainingupward movement of the bobbin. For reasons of space and in order to keepthe eccentricity small in the driving mechanism, it is advisable toarticulate the crank or eccentric bar directly in the vicinity of thefulcrum of the lifting lever for the bobbin gripping device.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a connecting rodwhich is articulated by a crank or eccentric mechanism. The connectingrod is slotted at its upper end for receiving a bolt which is carried bya lever. The lever is pivoted at one end at a fixed location and movedby the connecting rod under the additional guidance of a cam plate. Thelever carries a gripper mechanism at its outer end for removing a bobbinfrom a spindle. The mechanism includes a cam carried by the connectingrod which bears against the lever at a location spaced away from thepivot by a greater amount further than the spacing of the connection ofthe bolt in the slot at the end of the connecting rod from the pivot.With a construction of this nature the cam is effective to lift thelever first when the gripper is first engaging the full spool forremoval of the spool from the spindle. Since the cam is spaced a greaterdistance from the pivot than the connection of the rod to the bolt, agreater lifting force is effective on the lever than if the rod liftedthe lever through the bolt connection initially. This greater liftingforce is reduced gradually as the cam rides along the surface of thelever during the lifting stroke of the connecting rod until the boltwhich rides in the slot comes to the end of the slot and causes thedirect lifting of the lever with a somewhat lesser lifting force. Inorder that the operation of the device be quiet, the bolt on the leveris urged to the lowermost position on the slot by biasing the leverdownwardly at such location by means of a tension spring.

In accordance with a further characteristic of the invention, the upwardmovement of the lever, with the bobbin-removing gripper attachedthereto, is controlled by means of a plate which may swing about ahorizontal axis which is substantially vertical to the direction ofmovement of the forwardly moving carriage performing a working cycle.Preferably, the plate is kept in a vertical position; however, it mayalso swing out substantially opposite to said direction of movement ofthe carriage. This also enables the gripper to perform a swinging move-33%,958 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 ment in the same direction during theremoval of the bobbin and the simultaneous relative movement of thecarriage and the spindle frame.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedmechanism for removing bobbins from the spindles of a spinning machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spinning machine whichincludes a spinning frame with a carriage arranged to run along saidspindle frame having a bobbin removal mechanism which includes a leverpivoted for upward and downward movement which carries at its outer enda gripper for engaging a bobbin for removal thereof, and a drivingmechanism which includes a lifting rod having a cam surface engageablewith the lever for lifting the same for the application of a relativelygreat force on the lever during the initial stages of lifting, and whichfurther includes a connection of the lifting rod to the lever which iseffective to'exert a somewhat lesser lifting force on the lever duringthe remaining portion of its movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bobbin removal devicefor a spinning machine which is simple in design, rugged in constructionand economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming partof this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, itsoperating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, referenceshould be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter inwhich there is illustrated and described preferred embodiments of theinvention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the bobbin change carriage lookingin the direction of the displacement of the carriage relative to thespindle frame or bed with a bobbin removal device constructed inaccordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied thereincomprises a carriage generally designated 3 having rotatable rollers 4which are guided on a track 5 adjacent a spindle bed or frame 2. In thelower portion of the carriage 3 there is rotatably supported a shaft 6which is driven by means (not shown) when a carriage position has beenreached for the removal of a full bobbin 25 from the spindles 1 whichare rotatably carried on the frame 2. Crank means such as an eccentric 7which is carried on the shaft 6 drives the bobbin removal mechanism.

In accordance with the invention, the bobbin removal mechanism includesa bar or connecting rod 8 having a head 9 at its upper end of forkedconstruction. The head 9 carries at its upper end an axially elongatedoblong slot 10 in which is confined a bolt 14 which is spaced closely tothe fulcrum or pivot axis 13 of a lifting lever 12. The head 9. alsocarries a lifting cam 11 which is shaped so that it bears against thelifting lever 12 at a location A further removed from the fulcrum 13than the bolt 14 so that when the cam surface is effective, it exerts agreater lifting force on the lifting lever 12 than would be transmitted,via the slot 10, to the bolt 14. A helical tension spring 15 isconnected between the head 9 and the lifting lever 12 so that the leverwith the bolt 14 is urged in a direction toward the bottom of the oblongslot 10.

The outer end of the lifting lever 12 is forked at 12' to engage arounda bolt 16 which is carried on a grip holder arm 17 of a gripper 18. Anadditional arm 30 of the gripper 18 carries a bolt 19. The bolts 16 and19 ride in the curved slots 20 of a cam plate or guide plate 21. Thegripper 18 includes suitable means for gripping the upper end of thefull bobbin 25.

A further feature of the invention is that the guide plate 21 ispivotally mounted on the rod 22. The plate is urged inwardly by a spring24 against a stop 23. As indicated in FIG. 1, the gripper is shown in aposition after it has initially engaged the bobbin 25. The gripper isheld at this moment at the top of the bobbin 25 by a device which is notindicated since it forms no part of the present invention.

Due to the rotation of the eccentric 7, the connecting rod 8 is moved upand with it the lifting cam 11 which solely causes the pivotal upwardmovement of the lifting lever 12. The greatest lifting force is thusexerted at the point A of the lifting lever 12 so that the bobbin 25 ispositively removed from the spindle 1. During the further movement thelifting lever 12 rolls along the surface of the lifting cam 11 until thecross bolt 14 finally bears at the lower part of the oblong slot andlifting is effected directly from the rod 8 to the bolt 14 and lever 12.The lifting force intensity thus moves from the point A in the directionof the bolt 14 and toward the fulcrum 13. The spring 15 insures that aquiet contact of the cooperating parts takes place.

During removal of the bobbin 25, the guide plate 21 swings about itssuspension pin 22, opposite to the direction of movement of thecarriage, the latter moving forwardly and performing a working cycle.Thus, the plate moves away from stop 23 so that the gripper 18 may adaptitself to the progressive movement of the bobbin changer carriage. Thisalso provides a relative movement of the connection of the lifting lever12 with the carriage 3, as well as the hinge connection 10, 14. At bothpoints there is so much play that, in addition to the swinging movementin the vertical plane, there is also possible a swinging movementtransversely thereto.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventiveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spinning machine including a spindle frame with a carriagemoving along said frame, the improvement comprising a bobbin changedevice comprising; a lifting lever pivotally mounted at its one end onsaid carriage, a bobbin gripper mounted on the other end of said liftinglever, means for lifting said lifting lever for the purpose of removinga bobbin from a spindle including an element engageable with said leverat a location spaced at a relatively large distance from the pivotalconnection of said lever to said carriage for exerting a relativelylarge force at the initial stages of the lifting of said bobbin and anelement engageable at a location spaced relatively close to the pivotalconnection of said lever to said carriage for applying a relativelysmall lifting force to said lever after the initial stages of lifting ofsaid bobbin.

2. In a spinning machine according to claim 1, wherein said means forlifting said lever includes a rod memher, a cam carried by said rodmember and extending outwardly therefrom into contact with said leverfor exerting the initial large lifting force on said lever, saidconnecting rod member having a slot and pin connection to said lever atsaid location spaced closer to the pivot point for applying a liftingforce of lesser magnitude after the initial lifting force has beenapplied.

3. In a spinning machine according to claim 1, including meanspermitting outward pivotal movement of said lifting lever in a directionaway from the direction of advance of said carriage during the liftingoperation,

4. In a spinning machine according to claim 3, wherein said meanspermitting outward movement of said lever includes a guide plate, meanshaving a horizontal axis for mounting said guide plate on said carriagefor pivotal movement about said horizontal axis in the direction ofmovement of said carriage, said gripper having bolt means confined inthe slot of said guide plate.

5. In a spinning machine including a spindle frame, a carriage movablealong said frame, the improvement comprising: a vertically positionedand vertically movable rod member carried by said frame, a lifting leverpivoted at one end on said carriage and having an opposite end extendingtoward said frame, a gripper carried by said opposite end of saidlifting lever adapted to engage a full spool on said spindle frame, acam carried by the upper end of said movable rod member and engageablewith said lifting lever at a location intermediate its length and spacedfrom its pivotal connection on said carriage by a relatively largedistance, said cam being engageable with said lifting lever duringupward movement of said rod member and being movable along said liftinglever toward the pivotal connection thereof for causing first arelatively large lifting force and then a gradually decreasing liftingforce, said rod member being slotted at its upper end, said liftinglever having a bolt extending through the slot of said rod member, saidbolt being located closer to the pivotal connection of said liftinglever to said carriage than the contact of said cam with said liftinglever, said slot being of a size such that said bolt is contacted bysaid lifting mmeber for direct lifting thereof after said cam is nolonger effective.

6. In a spinning machine according to claim 5, including a guide platepivotally carried by said carriage and movable in directionscorresponding to the direction of movement of said carriage, said guideplate having a slot, said gripper having a bolt member confined in saidslot of said guide plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,886,940 5/1959Urano et. al. 57-53 3,116,587 1/1964 DuBuis et al. 57-53 3,148,4959/1964 King et a1. 57-53 3,154,909 11/1964 Urano et al. 57-53 3,176,4584/1965 DuBois et al. 57-53 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Examiner.

J. PETRAKES, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A SPINNING MACHINE INCLUDING A SPINDLE FRAME WITH A CARRIAGEMOVING ALONG SAID FRAME, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A BOBBIN CHANGEDEVICE COMPRISING; A LIFTING LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ITS ONE END ONSAID CARRIAGE, A BOBBIN GRIPPER MOUNTED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID LIFTINGLEVER, MEANS FOR LIFTING SAID LIFTING LEVER FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMOVINGA BOBBIN FROM A SPINDLE INCLUDING AN ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LEVERAT A LOCATION SPACED AT A RELATIVELY LARGE DISTANCE FROM THE PIVOTALCONNECTION OF SAID LEVER TO SAID CARRIAGE FOR EXERTING A RELATIVELYLARGE FORCE AT THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE LIFTING OF SAID BOBBIN AND ANELEMENT ENGAGEABLE AT A LOCATION SPACED RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THE PIVOTALCONNECTION OF SAID LEVER TO SAID CARRIAGE FOR APPLYING A RELATIVELYSMALL LIFTING FORCE TO SAID LEVER AFTER THE INITIAL STAGES OF LIFTING OFSAID BOBBIN.